We’ve known for a while now that Samsung is looking to beat rivals to market with a smartphone sporting a foldable display. ZTE already has one such model so Samsung won’t be able to claim it was the first.
A new report repeats what we’ve heard before, that the Galaxy X handset will be unveiled at some point next year without providing an actual launch date.
According to Business Korea, Samsung should stick to its recently confirmed plans, and launch the Galaxy X next year. “We aim to launch a foldable smartphone next year,” Samsung’s mobile division chief DJ Koh said in September.
The report notes that the Galaxy X will likely have a foldable panel with a curvature of 1.0R. That means the panel can be folded inwards like paper, Business Korea says.
It’s unclear what this display is made of. The dominant opinion is that a plastic material will be used. Samsung is expected to use a method to process the display junctions separately so that the panel is slim and flexible.
The report also notes that Samsung is eager to beat Apple to market with a foldable smartphone, especially considering the increased chatter that Apple is developing a foldable iPhone together with LG Display.
A report said a few weeks ago that Apple is working on a secret smartphone project with LG out of fear that Samsung will just steal the design. A patent surfaced a few days ago, describing tech that may be used to build foldable smartphones. The documentation revealed the phone could have a micro-LED display.
Business Korea, meanwhile, says that LG Display is working on foldable panels with 2.5R and 1.0R curvatures. Some of them will be finalized by the end of next year, while others only in 2018. Apple’s foldable iPhone is expected to debut in 2020 at best.
